Encoding techniques employing noise-based adaptation

Abstract

A system, apparatus, method and article to encode image signals are described. The apparatus may include a noise determination that determines one or more noise characteristics of an image sensor. In addition, the apparatus may include an encoder module that encodes one or more images received from the image sensor in accordance with one or more encoding settings that are based on the one or more noise characteristics. The noise characteristics may be based on various factors, such as dark pixel value statistics. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a noise determination module to determine one or more noise characteristics of an image sensor; and    an encoding module to encode one or more image signals received from the image sensor in accordance with one or more encoding parameter settings, the one or more encoding parameter settings based on the one or more noise characteristics.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the encoding module comprises: 
 a motion estimation module to estimate motion between corresponding blocks within one or more images corresponding to the one or more image signals;    wherein the motion estimation module adapts one or more motion estimation parameters based on the one or more noise characteristics.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more motion estimation parameters includes a zero motion threshold of a block matching algorithm.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the encoding module is to increase a zero motion vector threshold when the one or more noise characteristics indicates a noise level increase, and is to decrease the zero motion vector threshold when the one or more noise characteristics indicates a noise level decrease.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the noise determination module is to determine one or more dark pixel value statistics, the one or more noise characteristics based on the one or more dark pixel value statistics.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an image sensor to provide the one or more image signals;    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , 
 wherein the image sensor comprises a plurality of shielded sensors to generate a plurality of dark pixel values; and    wherein the one or more noise characteristics comprises one or more statistics of the dark pixel values.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising an optics assembly to project one or more images onto the image sensor, the one or more images corresponding to the one or more image signals.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a display to display images corresponding to the one or more image signals.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a communications interface to send the one or more encoded image signals to a remote device.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a noise determination module to determine one or more noise characteristics of an image sensor from a plurality of dark pixel values; and    an encoding module to encode one or more image signals received from the image sensor in accordance with one or more encoding parameter settings, the one or more encoding parameter settings including a zero motion threshold of a block matching algorithm, wherein the zero motion threshold is based on the one or more noise characteristics.    
   
   
       12 . A method, comprising: 
 determining one or more noise characteristics of an image sensor; and    adapting one or more parameter settings of a video encoder based on the one or more noise characteristics.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining the one or more noise characteristics comprises determining one or more dark pixel value statistics.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein adapting the one or more parameter settings of the video encoder video comprises adjusting a zero motion vector threshold of a block matching algorithm.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein adjusting the zero motion vector threshold comprises: 
 increasing the zero motion vector threshold when the one or more noise characteristics indicates a noise level increase; and    decreasing the zero motion vector threshold when the one or more noise characteristics indicates a noise level decrease.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein adapting the one or more parameter settings is performed upon the occurrence of a triggering event, the triggering event including at least one of a change in a gain of the image sensor and a change in an integration time of the image sensor.  
   
   
       17 . An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to: 
 determine one or more noise characteristics of an image sensor; and    adapt one or more parameter settings of a video encoder based on the one or more noise characteristics.    
   
   
       18 . The article of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions enabling the system to determine the one or more noise characteristics comprises instructions that if executed enable the system to determine one or more dark pixel value statistics.  
   
   
       19 . The article of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to adjust a zero motion vector threshold of a block matching algorithm based on the one or more noise characteristics.  
   
   
       20 . The article of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to: 
 receive a video signal; and    encode the video signal with the video encoder.